The supply of the highly addictive drug has surged, causing the street price to plummet in many countries. The syndicate is the major factor in the fourfold increase in region-wide meth trafficking in the past five years, the UNODC says.

“The word kingpin often gets thrown around, but there is no doubt it applies here.” “Tse Chi Lop is in the league of El Chapo or maybe Pablo Escobar,” said Jeremy Douglas, Southeast Asia and Pacific representative for UNODC, referring to Latin America’s most legendary narco-traffickers. The group is “conservatively” raking in $8 billion a year and could be earning as much as $17.7 billion annually, according to an estimate by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime ( UNODC). In response to questions from Reuters, the AFP, the DEA and Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau said they would not comment on investigations.Īccording to interviews with regional law enforcers from eight countries, as well as a review of law enforcement documents, the syndicate produces vast quantities of high-grade methamphetamine in Myanmar and trafficks the drug to countries stretching from Japan to New Zealand. Marwa said NDLEA arrested 12,306 suspects, seized drugs and cash worth over N130 billion and counselled and rehabilitated 7,761 drugs users in 2021.Reuters was unable to contact Tse Chi Lop. The NDLEA Chairman attributed the successes achieved in the war against drugs to God, support of President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Assembly and other stakeholders including international partners such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), European Union (EU), foreign governments, amongst others. Marwa however said that the Agency is not in support of flogging of culprits and other human rights abuses but will provide assistance such as counselling and treatment of drug addicts. He urged other communities across the nation to set up war against drug abuse, just like in the South-East. By the way, we have set up a special task force to face the challenge and very soon, you will hear and see the result of our efforts.” “And more importantly, they are ridding their communities of drug abuse they have taken ownership of the war themselves against drug abuse, especially the Mkpurumiri. Clearly, in the same South-East, they are doing two things first, they are telling their fellow travellers, who are not decent, that look ‘you are the very few who are spoiling our names here. He said, “We have the preponderance of drug dealers from the South-East, but what more do you have? The greatest efforts by communities to rid the country and their communities of drug use are from the South East. Buba Marwa (Rtd.) during a press briefing to mark his first year anniversary in charge of the Agency.Īccording to Marwa, the decision to set up the task force was because Mkpurumiri was being abused by youths in different parts of the country, especially in the South-East. This was made known on Monday by the Chairman/Chief Executive, NDLEA, Brig. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has set up a special task force to track down and dismantle drug syndicates responsible for the production and distribution of methamphetamine, popularly called Mkpurumiri in the South East region of the country.

Meth syndicate